danovercash wrote:Pressure washers can put water where you don't want it! Be careful around mated surfaces (with or without gasket) and anything electrical. (Don't ask) I like to spray with Varsol or something simular before using strong degreaser. They work together to remove gunk, and won't "burn" the paint as bad. Some degreasers can really do a number on paint. Also pressure washer can destroy a radiator.

1. Remove #1 spark plug (front plug on engine)2. Place finger over spark plug hole3. Turn engine until pointer is in line with notch on flywheel and compression is felt4. Check mag coupler for proper alignment5. Install magneto and move against engine block6. Turn engine 2 revolutions until it lines up with the pointer once again.7. Slowly rotate magneto away from engine block until a distinct click is heard8. Tighten magneto. Engine is in time.

John *.?-!.* cub owner wrote:Use of both items is pretty simple, which is why I like them being simple minded.

To use the light, simply connect the alligator clip to a good ground, and touch a terminal, fuse, etc in question. Example, lights not working: First touch test lead to hot side of battery to make sure your ground clip is making a good connection. Then with light switch on touch to screw on back of light housing. Light comes on, problem is inside head light. No test light, problem is toward light switch. Next move to light switch and touch to headlight wire terminal there. Light, probably broken wire between there and head light. No light, touch to lug the terminal attaches to. if light, clean connection, no light move to fuse. Touch both ends of fuse. if light on one end, replace fuse and clean holder clips. If light at both ends test again on clip instead of fuse. light on one end and not other, clean clips. Light on both ends, switch is probably bad. No light at either end of fuse, check wiring coming to light switch.

To check for power to ignition, touch to switch side of coil (switch on), which is normally the - side on 6 volts, and + side on 12 volts. No light, move toward ignition switch (checking both ends of dropping resister if you have one), keep moving toward battery until light comes on. When it lights you have passed the problem, whether it is broken wire, bad switch, etc.. If light on hot terminal, move to distributor side of coil. light should go on and off 2 times per revolution when cranking engine, preferably by hand so it is easier to see. Light should be on when points open, and off when points close. Light off all the time, disconnect wire to distributor. If light comes on them, you have a short in distributor, maybe condenser, or points stuck shut, or rarely a shorted insulator where wire enters distributor. If light does not come on, coil is bad. If light is on all the time, check for broken wire between coil and distributor, points burned or dirty so they do not make contact, etc.

For the spark tester, connect it to the tower on distributor coil or mag coil using an extra spark plug wire. Set gap of tester between 1/4 and 3/8 inch. Turn ignition on and crank tractor. Should get spark 2 times per revolution for 4 cylinder engines. if no spark, trouble shoot coil. points, wiring, etc. If proper spark, reconnect coil and connect tester to distributor cap either using the spare wire, or plug one of the spark plug wires into the tester. You should see a spark every other round. If no spark, check cap, rotor, and spark plug wires. If spark, check spark plug. If you get a spark there, check carb. and fuel supply.

sgtbull wrote:Buying a whole carb kit just to get a bowl gasket is not a happy thing. I've been rebuilding Deere simplex and duplex carbs for about 10 yrs now, and fortunately, all of their gaskets are readily available individually. HOWEVER, I'm a bit of a cheapskate so I hate to replace a gasket that is less than a yr old or so, just because I had a bit of crud get in the carb and I had to take the bowl off, and many carbs are hard to find "just the bowl gasket" for.

I don't remember where I got this trick, but I can't take original credit for it. (When redoing someones carb though, I must admit I don't always give credit where credit is due, and allow myself to look like a "carb guru" to some of my buddies )

The trick is really not much of a trick. Simply coat your bowl gasket on both sides with CHAPSTICK. Yup, plain ol', everyday, run of the mill chapstick. Parafin wax, candle wax or sealing wax will also work, but chapstick is handy, soft, easy to use, and found in about every womans purse in America. (well, while it is probably "IN there", becoming "FOUND" may be a bit more challenging. Before my female readers get incensed, I am only referring to MY wife's suitcase, er, purse.)

It seems the wax in the chapstick is relatively petroleum resistant, and allows disassembly without the gasket adhering to the casting. I have had carbs that I took apart 5 years after rebuilding them, for a good cleaning, and all of the gaskets were still pliable and came right apart without tearing. Its been my luck on untreated gaskets, that when they do adhere, they do so in a matter where one part is to the bowl, and the other part is to the top, resulting in a torn gasket despite my most gentle approach. I've used this on literally dozens of carbs over the years, and as long as you just make a thin film, not a gooey glob on the gasket, you have no problems. FYI.

Cub Tip of the Week!

Sat Jan 31, 2009 3:53 pm

This week, we are featuring a common sense tip from another one of our newer members.... A real little gem of a tip to boot

Ronny Bailey wrote:Grunt's funny post about his 3 hour transmission lube change got me thinking. One of his problems was getting a tranny plug mixed up with a steering plug.

I sometimes use little magnets to keep track of where things go. You can stick the drain plug right next to where you took it off. This avoids my bumping the tractor and having it fall on the floor and rolling into the black hole, where my lost socks, money, car keys and common sense sometimes go.

You can buy them lots of places and they're only about a dime apiece. I like the way they stick together so I don't have to dig around the junk drawer.

Just stick them to a piece of metal and they're there when you need them.

In the picture I'm using a magnet from an old computer hard drive. I like them because they're super strong and free.

Cub Tip of the Week!

Tue Aug 25, 2009 7:35 pm

I can't believe it has been 8 months since our last tip of the week, I gotta gitittogethersomemore - was cleaning out my PM box and noticed a note from Dan England about this possible tip. Hey, even I understand it, so it has to be a good one So without further ado

ricky racer wrote:A simple way to see where compression is lost is to induce compressed air to each cylinder and see where it leaks from. You can use the threaded end of a compression tester on many brands or make an adapater from an old spark plug that you can attach an air hose to and induce regulated compressed air into each cylinder to see where it's leaking. If you hear air coming out the exhaust, it's leaking past the exhaust valve. If you hear it leaking out the carb, it's leaking past the intake valve. If you hear it leaking out the crank case filler pipe, it's leaking past the rings. Once you know where it's leaking, you'll know what you have to do to "Get-R-Done"!

Cub Tip of the Week! December 11th, 2009

Fri Dec 11, 2009 5:43 pm

I guess I have to apologize again for being a little derelict in my CTotW duties for the last little while. It has been a very hectic summer/fall and things just got put off. Again, I will try to keep this more current, and will add the tips as I see them.

Remember, if you see something that you feel would make a good Tip of the Week, please pm me with a link to the thread/post and I will do my best to put it up ASAP.

cowboy wrote:The last half of the summer I have been having problems with my starter switch. I did not feel like paying $20 for a new one. So I cleaned the contacts or so I thought :!: I filed the contact on the starter smooth and in the switch housing. I put it back on and still no start. So I went and bought a new one. Put it on and it will once again start. I am not real happy with the quality of the new one. Its not the same size and a lot weaker. The contacts are brass instead of copper and does not work as well as the original when it was working right.

I started thinking about it after I got in the house. I missed something Inside the switch I cleaned one side it has three sides to clean. one that hits the starter that I cleaned. But the other side contacts the stud that battery cable hooks to and I missed it completely. If I had cleaned the stud and the other side of the contact it would have worked.

The red line I drew in the picture points to the two areas I did not clean and needs to be cleaned for good contact and starting.

So if you are having to pull hard on the starter switch to get it to start in may not be the starter but the contacts in the switch.

scotlem wrote:Another Idea for putting it back in is If your universal joint is to floppy to raise up into position with out flopping over and the bolt falling out of the socket. Try taking a piece of heat shrink used for electrical wire and slide it over the universal joint, heat it a little like you would for a wire. Now the universal joint is stiff enough to hold the bolt up with out falling over and flexible enough to still act as a universal joint. Just my opinion, not an expert. Scot

Cub Tip of the Week! February 2nd, 2010

Tue Feb 02, 2010 10:35 pm

Rudi wrote:This weeks "Cub Tip of the Week" is a double tapper and is courtesy of: :

George Willer wrote:I don't recall ever seeing this addressed. All the emblems can be easily removed by this method... tap the studs from the inside with a very small hammer , tapping each just a little, taking turns.

Congratulations on wisely abandoning the screwdriver method... a sure way to destroy the emblems.

Gary Dotson wrote:I've always considered the type of duty the tractor will be doing. Mowing for hours on end in the heat of summer, you will want to go with a colder plug. If the duty around the farm entails light duty, the hotter plug will be fine. Cold weather operation, the tractor will likely run better with the hotter plug because the engine will rarely reach proper operating temperature.

Phillip W. Lenke wrote:I was recently removing the manifold and pipe from our 49, I did not want to disrupt the paint around the opening in the sheet metal ,toilet paper tube between the pipe and the hole worked great to protect the paint from chipping.Phil

artc wrote:This has been talked about before, but it came to mind again when I had to go out to my storage container to get the serial # off my Demo Cub.

All of us consider our cubs (and other tractors) to be valuable, but if it was stolen, what would you tell the police? It was a RED Cub?

So, without going into a long dissertation,

Take pictures of your tractors from several angles.Record the year, make, and serial number of each.Record the engine serial number, and other casting numbers.Mark your tractors somewhere hidden from normal viewing, especially if it is a restored piece you intend to keep.Identify any special features and welds.

In short, anything that would help in recovering your property or proving to the authorities that it belongs to you.

Cub Tip of the Week! November 10th, 2010

Wed Nov 10, 2010 4:19 pm

I wish I could find a tip each week, but unfortunately I do not see them all and am depending on other members for tips to the tips Thanks to jimdawg for catching this one

Buzzard Wing wrote:To find a short,(With the battery disconnected.) a meter with a 'beep' continuity function or a battery powered 'light up' one will work. Ground one end and connect the other to the light switch out wire (or any light wire) and move the wires etc and 'wait for the beep'.